Extension table



' F. B. WALTER June 10, 1930.

Filed April 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q ,\\WMNNWNQ& MK M Q fil Q g m f V v WMJ Mn m w H 1 0 Q m N g i, v \\\\\\u w Q 7 b LN a Q .W fix m Q U$ Q 1 WM Wh QR n OhN wvk V i ww //%7//////////////////%//////////Z June 10', 1930. F. a. WALTER EXTENSION TABLE Filed April 6, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mm W Q\ W N\ Q Q MN Q 1 v Q Q Q w, & w Q a R a @N MM R o u 0 MN Q fl NM MM wN WMQNNWMRWE: NW3 ZZZ 222 hr Q x LN Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES FFF CE FREDERICK B. WALTER, F WABA SH, INDIANA, ASSEGNOR TO WALTER & (10., OF

WABASH, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

EXTENSION TABLE Application filed April 6, 1829. Serial No. 352,969.

in the positions occupied at the end of the outward movement of the extension leaves preparatory to inward movement toestablish extension association with the middle leaf;

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 with portions of the middle leaf broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section with the extension leaves projected beneath the middle leaf;

Fig. lis a vertical section through one of the equalizing gears;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, on a larger scale, on line 55 of Fig. 2 with the parts in the positions occupied at the end of the outward lateral movement of the extension leaves from extension assembly position preparatory to projection of said leaves beneath the middle leaf;

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 with. the parts in an intermediate position of projection of the extension leaves beneath the middle leaf;

Fig. 7 a new similar to Fig. 5 wlth the parts in the positions occupied at an =1ntermediate point in the movement of the exten= sion leaf outwardly from theposition shown in Fig. 3 toward the'position shownin Fig. 1 and at the beginning of vertical movement of the middle leaf and extension leaves into a common plane, and, i

Fig. 8 a view similar to Fig. 7 but wi h the parts in the positions occupied at an in termediate point in the outward movement of the leaves from the positions shown in Fig. 1 preparatory to proceeding to the position shown in Fig. 5 and. at the initiation of vertical movement of the leaves into the different horizontal planes shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In the drawings 10 indicates a suitable pedestal carrying the base bars 11, 11 at its top.

The extension leaves are supported by a pairof slide structures each comprising a central member 12 and two slide bars 13 and 1 1 slidably associated with the central member 12 ina common manner as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The slides 13, at their outer ends, support an extension leaf 15, and slides let similarly support an extension leaf 16. Secured to the upper face of each slide 13 is a rack 18 and each slide 14 carries a rack 14, each pair of racks being geared together by a pinion 17 journalled upon the upper face of the intermediate bar 12, the arrangement being such'that lateral movement of either extension leaf, in either direction, will produce simultaneous and equal lateral movement of the other leaf in the opposite direction. This mechanism in itself, is common and well-known and I have therefore shown in Fig. 2 only one set of racks and pinion.

The two central bars 12 are connected near their opposite ends by supporting cross bars 20, 20, each of which carries two upwardly projecting brackets 21, 21 which. are pivotally suspended upon the outer ends of lev 22 which are pivoted upon brackets 23 supported by cross bars 11. The levers 22 are arranged in pairs and are pivotally connected at their inner adjacent ends by a connection 24 of such form as to permit the levers to swing from one side to the other of the horizontal plane of the two pivotal supports of the levers, this connectionbeing conveniently a well-known pin and slot construction.

Pivoted at 25 to the inner arms of each pair of levers 22 is a depending bracket 26 which is secured to the under face of the middle leaf 27, the arrangement being such that the middle leaf floats upon the inner ends of levers 22 and the extension structure, embodying the two extension leaves and their connecting slides, floats'upon the outer ends of said levers.

Thus far the structure which has been described forms the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 312,732, filed October 15th, 1928. In this structure the weight of the middle leaf is balanced against the weight of the extension leaf unit on the lever fulcrums and it is necessary for the operator to exert a vertical force, either upon the middle leaf, or upon one of the extension leaves, to shift the leaves into or out of the extension-assembly plane or the storage-assembly planes.

My present invention relates to mechanism for automatically causing the necessary vertical movement of the leaves as a result of lateral movement of the extension leaves, and to this end I mount, upon the outer face of each depending bracket 26 a cam block 30 which is pivoted medially on a horizontal axis 31 and provides two par allel cam faces R and D between which is slidably mounted the plunger 32 normally urged in one direction by a light spring 33.

Journaled in plunger 32 is a pin 34 which projects through aslot 35 in block 30, between the two cam walls D and R, and is secured to one end of a trip lever 36 pivoted on bracket 26 on pin 37 which is in the same horizontal plane as pivot 31. The opposite end of the tri lever 36 is bent and shaped to form a V-siiaped tripping cam 38 which lies parallel with the main body of the tripping lever and provides two diverging cam edges 39 and 40 )resented toward the axis of lever 36. Pro]ected from the inner face of each slide 13 is a pin 41 adapted to engage the adjacent cam surfaces D and R and cam edges 39 and 40.

The operation is as follows:

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, the cam mechanism will be in the position shown in Fig. '7 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Either one of theextension leaves being thereupon pulled outwardly pins 41 vill be moved to the position shown in Fig. 7, travelling under cam edge 39 without engagement and coming into engagement with the cam face D, at which time the inner edges of the extension leaves will have been brought out. from under the adjacent edges of the middle leaf. Further outward movement of the extension leaves will force pins 41 against cam surfaces D and thus exert a downward force upon brackets 26, this downward force acting through levers 22 to produce an upward force upon the extension leaf structure, thus simultaneously lowering the middle leaf and raising the extension leaves until they are in a'common plane. Thereupon inward move-' swing the cam blocks 30 from the position shown in F ig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 5, spring 33 serving to snap the parts to their final positions as soon as the pins 41, acting upon edges 40, have carried axes of ins 34 above the plane of the pivots 31 an 37 Continued inward movement of the extension leaves permits their assembly with and in the plane of the middle leaf.

Upon the next outward movement of the extension leaves pins 41 will pass freely over the cam edges 40 and come into engagement with cam surfaces R to cause an upward movement of the middle leaf and a depression ofthe extension leaves until the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 5. There upon inward movement of the extension leaves brings pins 41 into engagement with cam edges 39 and shifts the cam mechanism through the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 and permits them to snap to the position shown in dotted lines in that figure, so that the cam mechanism is thus placed in condition for the next outward movement of the extension leaves preparatory to assembly thereof in the plane of the middle leaf.

The resistance ofi'eredby the cam mechanism to swing about the pivots 31 and 37 is very slight and is not enough to cause any vertical movement of the leaves.

It will be readily understood'that the above described mechanism may be used where only one extension leaf is provided.

I claimas my invention:

1. An extension table comprising a main leaf, an extension leaf, a slide structure supporting said extension leaf, balancing levers mounted upon the pedestal and supporting the main leaf and extension leaf slide structure, and cam means interposed between the main leaf and the slide by which a limited portion of the lateral movement of the extension leaf will produce relative vertical movement of the mean leaf and extension leaf in opposite directions upon alternate movements of the extension leaf in the same direction.

2. An extension table structure of the character specified in claim 1 comprising a cam block pivotally sup orted on a horizontal axis on the main lea and provided with two cam surfaces upon opposite sides of said pivot, means connected with said cam block by which it may be shifted to bring one or the other of its cam faces into active position, and means carried by the slide structure for engaging the cam block to produce vertical movements of the leaves in one direction of lateral displacement of the extension leaf and to swing the cam block ppgn opposite movement of the extension 3. An extension table of the character specified in claim 1 comprising a cam block pivotally mounted upon a horizontal axis on the main leaf and provided with two cam faces on opposite sides of the axis thereof, a trip lever pivoted on the main leaf and connected with the cam lever, a spring yieldingly urging the cam block to either extreme of position, and a pin carried by the slide structure and arranged to engage the cam block upon outward displacement of the extension leaf and to actuate the trip lever upon inward displacement of the extension leaf.

l. As an article of manufacture, an extension table element comprising a central bracket adapted for attachment to the under side of a table leaf, two oppositely projected connected levers pivoted on said bracket, two brackets pivotally attached to each lever, one adapted for attachment to a base support and the other to an extension-leaf-slide-structure, a cam block mounted on the central bracket and shiftable to present a cam face upwardly or a cam face downwardly, and means associated with said cam-block by which such shifting may be accomplished.

5. An article of manufacture of the character specified in claim 4, comprising a pivotal support for the cam block and a cam-carrying trip lever connected tosaid cam block.

6. An article of manufacture of the character specified in claim 4, comprising a pivotal support for the cam block, a camcarrying trip lever connected tosaid cam block, and a spring plunger acting on the cam block to yieldingly hold it in either eX- treme position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 2nd day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine.

FREDERICK B. \VALTER. 

